Fighting intensifies on West Bank

12:34PM BST 06 Apr 2002

A 13-year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead by Israeli troops as fighting escalated throughout the West Bank.

According to Palestinian witnesses, the boy died at the Al-Fawar refugee camp near the town of Hebron. The worst fighting is continuing at the Jenin refugee camp and the town of Nablus, despite calls by President Bush for Israeli troops to withdraw.

Seven people have been confirmed dead in clashes in Nablus.

Earlier in the day, Palestinian international cooperation minister Nabil Shaath urged all Arab leaders to spurn US Secretary of State Colin Powell if he refuses to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during his visit to the region, which starts on Sunday.

The speaker of the Palestinian parliament in exile, Salim Zaanoun, called on Arab countries on Saturday to "break diplomatic, economic and cultural relations" with Israel.

Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania have diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt and Jordan have said they do not plan to break their ties because they have obligations under the peace treaties with Israel, while Mauritania says it does not want to be the only Arab country to take such a decision.

Before the peace process was derailed by the Palestinian uprising that erupted 18 months ago, other Arab countries such as Morocco, Oman and Qatar had built up trade and other ties with Israel.

Morocco last month received a delegation of Israeli members of parliament.

Oman closed the Israeli trade office in Muscat shortly after the intifada erupted, but it was not immediately clear whether Qatar had actually closed a similar one in Doha after having announced it was closed in November 2000.